Improvement in sheet-metal-can machines



W. GREEN- Sheet-Metal Can-Machine.

No.7l96j,351. lPatented* Oct. 23,1877.

UNITEn STATES PATENT ErcE.

I WILLIAM GREEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHEET-METAL-CAN MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,351, datedOetoberQB, 18.77; application filed April 7, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GREEN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements inSheet-Metal-Can-Forming Machines, of which the following is aspecication:

This invention relates to the same class of machines as that shown in,and illustrated by, the Letters Patent granted to me February S, 1876,and numbered 17 3,120, and is an improvement on that machine. It isdesigned to perform the same function-viz., to form the body of the canfrom one piece of metal, bringing the seam at one corner, and vto bendthe edges of the top and bottom upon all the four sides inward at anangle to the plane of the sides, forming 1i. nges to support tlie topand bottom when soldered in place 5 but it performs an additionalfunction as well, in that it bends the edges at the top and bottom ofthe sides irst outwardly and then inwardly, thus forming, instead of aange merely, a V-shaped groove upon the inside of the edges, such groovehaving great advantages over a simple iiange in the manufacture of thosecans which are to be hermetically sealed, and 'also in others, becausethe joint between the ends and sides can be made tighter and with lesssolder` There are also other features changed from my previous machine,the nature of which will be fully understood from what is hereunderwritten, when taken in connection with the drawing herewith led, forminga part of this specication, and in which drawing- Figure 1 is a top viewof the forming-dies when opened to receive the blank. Fig. 2 is a faceview of the end of the machine when closed upon thecan. Fig. 3 is a sidewiew, and Fig. t a top view, of the forming-block. Fig. 5 is atransverse section of a portion of the formingblock upon the line w m ofFig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the movable dies, one being such asare used on the wide side and the other upon the narrow side of the can.Fig. 8 shows the manner of holding one of the movable dies in placeagainst accidental displacement.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

In said drawing, AA are the die-blocks for shaping the wide si 'f of thecan, and B B' those for shaping the narrow sides. C C are hinges joiningall these blocks together, and D D are the handles by which `they areoperated. The edges at the'ends of the acting surfaces of thesedie-blocks are beveled off at an angle outward to the plane of theirfaces, as

shown at a a.. The forming-block E is of the same construction as thatshown in my previous patent, except in the particulars hereinafterspecified. It is provided at each end with outsetting anges c, which,when the dieblocks are closed around it, set into the space left in thelatter by the bevels a. In this way I give the can ends the outwardbend, as will be readily understood. l

The second or inward bend is imparted to the metal of the can by meanswhich I will now describe.

Across each end of the die-blocks are cut grooves al, into which areplaced movable dies F and F', those marked F being in die-blocks A A',and those marked F in de-blocks B B'. These dies are movable in thatthey are free to slide in and out upon the pins projecting' from theirunder surfaces, and lettered f, such pins working in appropriaterecesses a2, opening into the grooves al. Upon their sides next thedie-blocks these dies present a perpendicular or inclined surface,according tothe angle desired to be given to the metal of the can by theinward bend. The dies F are beveled off at their ends fromtheir facestoward their backs, as shown by the drawing, with the extheforming-block the lips fl will fold on the outside of lips fZ-that is,between such lips and the face of the die-block. These lips j" and f2serve to effectually bend the metal at the corners of the can.

VCentrally between ends of each of these dies, and upon the outsidethereof, away from contact with the metal of the can, are risings orstandards f3, from the faces or tops. of which rise the pins or guidesf4, one or more, the office of which will be shortly explained.

Y VFrom the outward side ofV theV standardspro The' forming-block ispierced Vcentrally its Y entire length for ythe receptionof a; shaft, G,i rotated Vbythe crank G4.

2 shaft bears Va :cam-wheel, II, whose peculiar construction willr -befully i understoodv from- At each end this Y Figs. 2, 3, Vand 4.

' and inclo'sing Vthe shaft G, and pierced with Y recesses iv ,'solocated that'when the die-VV blocks are folded around the'formingblockyi the pins f will Venter the recesses. Y Y

The cam-wheelH being provided with four npenings, when the blocks arebrought yto they Y position shown in Fig.V 2, the pins f5 enter theopenings, one in; each, aszshownii-n said figurer Y Y Y By applying`power tothe. crank Gr land' turningit to the left, the'cainactingsurfaces in thewheel II, acting uplonthe; pins f5-,idraw Vwith the.saine speed andat the saine time, Y and thereby the `extreme vend ofthecan, being Y all the Ydies toward the center of the Vshaft theoutward part of the portion previously i bent outward :by theclosingofthezdie-blocks upon the forming-block, Vis ygiven the final and inwardturn; Y Y

. thezsame shaft atV the saine time, and this ene ables me to finishboth .endsof the :can at Vone operation.

:The machine VshownV is calculatedV for manufacture of cans whose endsform rectangles, and therefore the standards f3 upon the short dies aremuch longer than those upon the long dies. They should be so adjusted asto meet that portion of the cam by which they are operated upon, and, ofcourse, can be varied to suit the size and form of can to be produced.The pins j' and f4 secure an even movement of the dies, and preventtwisting and lateral play.

The machine shown isalso made to form cans with round corners. Thisnecessitates the -hollowing out of the die-blocks, or, rather, thegiving them a raised lip at each side, in such manner that when theblocks are folded up the adjoining lips upon the adjacent sides of theblocks will present a rounded surface, conforming to the corner of theforming-block. To allow these lips o to come close together and form anunbroken surface, I bevel them olf toward the adjacent blocks, as shownin Fig. l.

'It will be noticed that the die-block A, at its outside edge, is madeto project at right angles to its face to such an extent that it almostspans the corner of the former-block. The sheet is placed upon the openblocks in such position that one end thereof will be bent by this flangem down upon the uppermost side of the forming-block, the twor ends oftheA sheet meeting over Vthe groove s, located near as shown by thedrawin The :die-block Bfr, at Vits outer edge, is

form a tight and firmV seam between them. The de-bloclciB is narrowerthan Vits Vopposite block, because the'flange ym performs part enlargedscale. l Y i VVThei die Ff Vin VblockV B :isrprevented Vfrom one cornerof the formerfblocl, and constructedV pro- Y videdwith aflange,n,`-which,-when'the block Y is ibldeddown upon the former, dentsthe metal ends Vdown into ;thegroove,thereby Y locking themtogetli'er,andenabling me to At each end the fomning-block is provided withfour-sided projections I, centrally placed,

:of theworlrwhich Vwould devolve upon it if Y constructed-like the otherIn consequence ofV .Y 'A this fact, the die F projects beyond'itat` onev f v Y v i isdm; f In Figs. :Gand 7-fthe dies are shown upon an fallinifouti b f a screw,- :fv inserted'from the Y.

Voutside of the block, the head of the screw Y :being at libertytoienterV the: hole: suchadis-V V V tance as will` permit the necessarymovement Y tothe die.

; Byzmeansofa spring, n', Vcoiled around the Y Y screw, and compressedbetween -itshead and Vthe Y bottoni of the enlarged part of the hole,:as shown in Fig.V S, this die F( is at allV times, i Y Y Y Y whenunemployed, kept impositiony ready for duty.

tion shown, may be made with their divisions;

an L shape, and when so made the pinsy byy which they are actuated inoperation should be placed in the angles.

What I claim as new is- 1. The' former E, shaft G, and cams H, incombination with the die-blocks and .movable dies inserted in thedie-blocks, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The movable dies F and F', beveled at the ends, provided,respectively, with lips f1 and f2 at their inner corners, land combinedtogether, substantially as set forth.

3. The movable dies F and F', provided with pins fand f4, substantiallyas speciied.

4L. The combination of the series of movable dies, provided with pinsf5, with the series of cams H, substantially as set forth.

5. The former E, having a groove, s, at one corner, in combination withthe die-block B', having the flange u', essentially as described andshown.

6. The die-blocksv having the lips o at their adjacent sides, and thebevel to allow the lips to meet when they are folded around the formerE, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM GREEN.

zw, Thezmovable dies, instead ofthe construc-VV Y' the centcrs'off the:sides, each jone thus oc-H u cupyingy a corner instead of a side, andhaving the Y

